Quote from Hostile

I remember that convo from somewhere... If you've been a PC gamer your whole life, you don't need a Wii right now. What did you want to play on it in the first place?

It wasn't so much that I wanted to play anything, it's because I was so impressed and intrigued by the new concept of the controller. I'd have to say I wasn't too particularly impressed with the console, but the controller made me salivate (my major is in computers & controls... come on 😛 )

@ Stealth
There is nothing wrong with getting into an argument to let out some steam 🙄

I can understand what you mean. I'm a big fan of Japanese development and less so on Western games so I'm really looking forward to the PS3 in the future, too. I was just thinking Nintendo as a first party trumps Sony and Microsoft combined and if 3rd party developers moved to a more multi-platform ideal, it doesn't matter if I buy either the PS3 or the 360 (360 has rumble, though 😃 )

@ SirGir
Wow, I had a lot of fun with Mario Party when all my buddies used to go to a friend's house to play multiplayer N64 games. We don't do that anymore so multiplayer games seem a lot less interesting unless there's online modes.

Super Smash Bros. was definitely a party game to me. It was 4-player insanity but I didn't own a GC (until I bought a Wii) so I never got into Melee. I hear Melee is also going to show up at EVO, the fighting game tournament/expo, so it probably is a great mano-y-mano game too.

@ Manick
If you're talking about innovation with the controller, instead of the Wii right now, the DS with its touch screen is more impressive.

https://twitter.com/Hostile

Quote from SirGir

Random Thought: 3rd party game developers seriously need like, a 1-year head-start on these new systems, because nobody can seem to understand how to program for these systems right off. I seem to remember someone at EA said something like the PS3 Madden was only using 20% of the PS3's resources...

That would be a 1-year longer wait for the console to be released then. And you would prefer them to hold onto a finished console for an entire year without releasing it just so developers might learn to use its full capabilities?

Anyway, if you're looking for a console for "serious" gaming (by the stereotypical definition of that, anyway), the Wii probably isn't for you. It isn't meant to be. I do wish they'd spent some more time on the graphics, but for its purposes, it's fine.

Party games can really be a lot of fun with groups of friends though. The only problem is that as you get older, your friends live further and further away and you have less time to get together for them. I think it's really mostly a college thing - when you live within walking distance of all your buddies.

First of all, Hostile, good choice on getting a Wii. Enjoy dude. Now, not to dig up anything or start any kind of a console war here but I have to admit Hostile was right. PS3's games are practically shit. I myself own all 3 consoles, or owned for that matter (my ps3 burned up 18 hours into playing and since mine's an import system Sony doesnt cover warranty here). MGS4 and Heavenly Blade are the only 2 titles which look good enough and seem original enough to pick up the PS3 again. Very disappointed with the launch titles, and after forking out almost S$2000 for it. Speaking of which a six axis controller goes for S$75 dollars here. Of course the official launch is in march but lets keep to the games rant.

Six axis controller frankly doesn't deliver, for any of the games released. Sure warhawk is coming and is gonna utilise the function, to me it really isnt very important. Whereas the Wii mote really gives games another perspective to play from. Say madden. Hostile should know what I'm speaking of. Passing is a joy. I'm an asian and not a very big ANFL fan. I'm more into rugby, where passing forward is taboo, heh, basically Madden for the Wii was my very first NFL game, and I enjoyed it. It was so much of a better experience than on my 360.

On Wii being marketed as a party console. Wow, I can't believe at this day and age where one wants to play serious games and whats more keep to himself. Games are meant to be fun, and played in groups. This days where such games which bring friends and family together to play are rare I think nintendo has made a good effort to secure and even keep this group of people satisfied. No offense meant, but generally westerners tend to be more into shooters, and are loners who are into gore, violence, but asian gamers are more into, i hate this word, 'cutesy' kind of titles. Speaking of shooters, I can gurandamntee there isnt gonna be another one like Gears of War. And sadly its only on the 360. Resistance can't hold a candle to Gears. Of which both of these games have multiplayer support, and if you re not gonna have friends over or play online, in other words partying with several others, the value is depriciated greatly.

RPGs, are of a slightly different class. Single player story driven games. Comparing mario rpg, and final fantasy is quite not right. They have both different purposes to give a gamer the satisfaction. If i were given a choice i'd go for mario rpgs any day, because I am that kind of a gamer, light on story but enjoy the elements found in rpgs, leveling up like crazy and owning bosses with cool looking finishers. Not to say FF isn't fun but its lack of humourous themes just dont appeal to me.

So far for MGS4 only video clips showing very little information of how the game is going to work is released. And lets be honest, I hardly think the game play is anything like shown on the trailers released. They're more like movies than anyone playing it. If you haven't tried gears you haven't seen what the 360 is about.

SirGir, SSB has always meant to be played as a party game. I'm not sure how the online aspect is going to be implemented, but they better make sure they have VoIP support. Im pretty vocal when playing Melee and the if the game lacks the sudden bursts of screams its going to be boring.

On the ending note, the games you mentioned Stealth are not provided by Sony but by individual companies themselves, Konami, Square-Enix and Namco who are all also making games on all platforms now. You might want to reconsider getting a cheaper console if the games comeout on the other platforms.

Quote from omar316

No offense meant, but generally westerners tend to be more into shooters, and are loners who are into gore, violence, but asian gamers are more into, i hate this word, 'cutesy' kind of titles.

That's such a bad generalization. I'm not sure where you got that from either. I can't really speak for what ppl played at home, but when I went to LAN cafes in high school in Taiwan, it was mostly CS. Or Lineage or this other Chinese MMORPG that I don't know the name of. Age of Empires, too.

Am I wrong to assume that we're talking about console games specifically here? If not I apologise.

We were really talking about the Wii but that went off topic fairly quickly. shrugs

It's a fact the Japanese don't like shooters too much. That's why Microsoft fails in Japan.

https://twitter.com/Hostile

Taken from PC Mag who have throughly tested all three next gen consoles, and has compared each hardware stats:

Let's get this out of the way first: the Wii's graphics look terrible compared with the competition. But within about a half hour of playing games on Nintendo's revolutionary Wii, you won't care. This new game console transcends visuals to deliver the most satisfying game play, for a wide range of gamers, than either the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3.

Fans of in-depth, pixel-popping twitch games will be disappointed, as will big-screen HDTV owners. But for everyone else—from kids to casual gamers to families—the Wii will deliver twice as much fun for half the price of the others. Be warned, however, that the system seems unfinished. The built-in software lacks some promised features, and the SD card slot currently will not let you back up your saved games.

The experience starts with the system's amazing new controller. Instead of the traditional two-handed device, the Wii's wireless controller is a rectangular device that looks and feels like a TV remote control. Inside is an array of sensors, wireless transmitters, and receivers that communicate with the diminutive Wii base station. The controller alone is all you need to operate many games, but an additional oblong device, about half the size of a mouse, connects to the main controller via a plug-in wire. A thumb pad and two buttons sit on this secondary controller, dubbed the Nunchuk, which houses motion sensors.

Using the controllers can be as simple as waving the primary device around like a wand. You can also use the two controllers in tandem for more complex games. My first experience with the motion-sensing controller, during early previews of the Wii last summer, was less than positive: I never really got the hang of it. Even now, during the first 20 minutes of testing, as we played Nintendo's excellent new Twilight Princess game, both my 7-year-old son and I were pining for the old school. But after about a half hour, we were clicking, swinging, pointing, and playing with ease. By mid-day, we were hooked.

Super-Easy Game Play

Most Wii customers probably won't start off with the complex Twilight Princess game, however, since Nintendo will include Wii Sports, a cartoony take on baseball, bowling, golf, tennis, and boxing, with every Wii it sells this fall. Wii Sports lets you ease into the new controller and helps current console gamers break old habits. During an extended weekend of testing the new console and the new games, with current console users and those new to gaming, the new controller delivered an immersive and easy-to-use experience. One of my test subjects, a 4-year-old, bested the rest of us in golf after only a few minutes of instruction.

One other tremendous feature of the new controller is a tiny embedded speaker, which delivers user-specific messages, including audio cues during Twilight Princess and sound effects in Wii Sports. The sound isn't spectacular, but it's a great addition to game play. The controllers run on double-A batteries, and after about 20 hours of testing I had used up about half of the battery life. Not bad, but consider rechargeable batteries instead of disposables. The split controller will also appeal to left-handed gamers for more complex games, since you can manipulate either controller with either hand.

The Wii itself is a marvel of miniaturization. About the size of an external DVD drive, it comes with an optical drive (which doesn't play movies), a 243-MHz ATI graphics chip, a 729-MHz PowerPC processor, 64MB of GDDR3 memory, a 512MB internal flash, and an 802.11g Wi-Fi. The white box sits either on its side or on the included stand, which positions the console at a rakish angle of about 10 degrees back from the vertical. A large power brick about a quarter the size of the main console sits outside the Wii.

The disc slot, which ingests and ejects both the smaller GameCube discs and the DVD-sized Wii games, is on the front of the unit. An SD card slot and a controller sync button sit inside a small door on the unit's front. The SD card allows the Wii play back movies, music, and photos. Five ports are on the back of the unit: one for power, one to connect the horizontal IR receiver bar, two for USB, and one multifunction video/audio connector. A composite video/stereo audio cable is bundled. Users can purchase a component cable, which includes optical audio, for about $25. The system delivers a 16:9 widescreen at 480i, which added dimension and width to the Twilight Princess game during my testing. Nintendo didn't provide the component cable, so I was unable to test the Wii at 480p, which is the highest resolution the system will support.

Out of the box, the system comes together easily. The only wrinkle was setting up the thin, low-profile sensor bar, which uses infrared to connect to the controllers. Nintendo recommends that the receiver either be stuck to the top of your TV set or on the front of the TV's base. A long wire snakes down to the base unit and enables the controllers to work. Using IR is a bit of a kludge, though. Currently no wired controller options exist for the Wii, and the semi-permanent nature of the IR receiver means that it would be difficult to pack up the unit and take it on vacation, or to use it in a car. Setting up one controller is easy, since the bundled one comes already married to the base unit. I easily set up a second controller by simultaneously pressing a button on the Wii and one on the remote. The Wii supports up to four remote-controller/Nunchuk combos. Nintendo also sells a traditional game pad that plugs into the bottom of the remote controller—in place of the Nunchuk—to appease traditional gaming fans.

Software setup was equally simple. A set of menus walks you through configuring your TV—either 16:9 or 4:3—and audio options. The Wii supports a half-way version of burn-in protection: The screen dims after 5 minutes of inactivity. Nintendo might have taken it a step further by turning off the screen altogether after a half hour.

I found it simple to connect the Wii to a home wireless network using the built-in Wi-Fi. The network interface found all the local hubs and let me easily connect to my home hub. Nintendo's wireless services and hubs, however, weren't activated during my testing, so I was unable to test the features requiring Internet access, including the always-on WiiConnect24 service, which delivers messages, e-mail, news, weather, and other information from the Web directly to the console. The Wii can connect wirelessly to a DS or DS Lite handheld game console, but that service didn't work on my tests. I strongly encourage Wii owners to connect it to a broadband connection, since Nintendo will deliver system updates, older games, and other content to the system from the Web. Early Wii customers will need a Web connection to add SD support and with other features missing from the first units. If you don't have a wireless hub, you can purchase a Wii Connect USB dongle from Nintendo that attaches to your Internet-enabled PC, and then to the Wii. Nintendo also plans on making a USB-based wired Ethernet adapter available for the Wii as well.

The Wii includes parental controls, although they're not nearly as sophisticated as the user-based scheme found on the PlayStation 3. Parents can lock down the system based on ESRB ratings, restricting games above the selected level. A four-digit password is used to control access; the password also keeps users from inadvertently changing Internet and other system settings. Nintendo has extended the parental controls to cover the optional, downloadable Opera browser, Wii messages, and the News and Internet channels, but I was unable to test these features. Parental controls don't restrict GameCube games, however—a serious shortcoming.

The Wii includes full support for GameCube games: Four GameCube game controller ports sit on top of the unit, and two memory card slots let you use and save games to your existing memory cards. The GameCube emulator seems to sit completely separate from the Wii, since you cannot use the GameCube controllers with Wii games, and features such as parental controls do not work with them. I tested a variety of older GameCube games, from the launch title, Luigi's Mansion, to ports of N64 Zelda titles Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, and third-party titles, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Looney Tunes. All worked exactly as if they were being played on a GameCube.

From Wii to Mii

In addition to playing games, the Wii includes several built-in applications. I was unable to test those that required Internet connectivity, including News, Weather, Internet, and Shop, but I did explore the Mii Channel, the local message board and calendar, and the Photo Channel. The Mii channel lets you set up cartoony avatars, which are used both as players in Wii Games—including Wii Sports—and as Animal Crossing–like emissaries that can travel from Wii to Wii, presumably spreading mirth and good cheer. Although some of the avatars I created looked disturbingly like South Park characters, I did manage to develop cartoony representations of myself, my wife, and my son. Other testers from around my neighborhood also had fun creating their virtual alter egos, especially when they used them to dominate me in golf, bowling, baseball, and tennis.

You'll find an Arena inside the Wii, where guest Mii-avatars can come a-calling via the remote control. I'm not sure what they do when they arrive, aside from letting you organize them into parades.

I did have fun with the photo viewer. You can drop a selection of photos onto an SD card, pop it into the Wii's SD slot, then view, manipulate, and explore the photos on the Wii. Photos can be scribbled on, inverted, and converted to black and white. You can display them in a slideshow with music—either internally or via an MP3 file stored on that same flash card. The slideshow feature uses a pseudo Ken Burns–like effect to make your pictures come alive. You can even save some of them to the system's internal 512MB of flash memory so that you can display them even after the card has been removed. It's not as advanced as the PlayStation 3's stunning visuals, nor can you store many photos inside the Wii. But it's simple enough for anyone to use, and the photos looked reasonably decent even at 480i on an LCD TV. The Photo Channel supports JPEG images only, up to 8,192 by 8,192. It also plays back movies but, surprisingly, only those stored in Apple's QuickTime (motion JPEG) format. And it supports only MP3 files, not WMA, OGG, or anything else. The Wii does not play DVDs, but a future version will, using add-on software from Sonic. However, with high-quality DVD players now costing $50 or less, this less than a drawback than you might think.

The Wii Message Board was also partially functional, and it let me save photos and other messages by date. You'll be able to send messages to other Wii Friends after they register at Nintendo, and to PC and cell-phone e-mail users after they respond to your invitation. You can send photos to your Wii Friends, along with text, but not to outside users. You also manipulate on-screen QWERTY and cell-phone keyboards, using the Wii Remote to type in messages.

While perusing the Wii channels, I came across the dubiously named My Accomplishments screen, which details exactly what your console did all day. During the first day of testing, I'm proud to say, I accomplished 12 hours and 5 minutes of Twilight Princess game play, 22 minutes of tennis, and 6 minutes of boxing (I got KO'd). Joy, joy! Although what I saw on the Wii channels seemed interesting, it left the impression of a system not yet complete. The Shop Channel was AWOL, as was the Virtual Console, which lets you play NES, N64, and other old Nintendo games. Once Internet connectivity has been enabled, we'll come back with an update on those capabilities.

Although the Wii will probably leave many hard-core gamers wanting more, it's designed to appeal to a broader audience of casual and first-time gamers. So how did the Wii do on that score? I pulled together a group of parents and kids, including those currently without a console and those with casual experience. The overall reaction was uniformly positive. One mother was so excited about the games—and how her kids played along with each other and their parents—that she immediately added it to her holiday list. Most testers easily picked up the intuitive gestures needed for Wii Sports, which involve swinging the primary controller as a racquet, golf club, or baseball bat. Both girls and boys seemed entranced by the games, and most of us ended up being bested by a precocious 4-year-old who had the most level golf swing of all.

It remains to be seen whether Nintendo will capture a large number of nongamers, but the Wii will certainly appeal to everyone who owns a GameCube, along with families and other gamers looking for something new. Nintendo expects more than 30 games to be available for the Wii this fall, with more on the way next year. And at $250, the Wii is a much easier purchase, one that will deliver more fun to your home than its pricey competitors. If you can find one.

I hope this was as informative to you as it was to me and can help many of your in your choice about the wii, as I am a strong supporter of next gen graphics, the wii does not interest me as much as 360 and ps3 due to the lack in HD resolution and graphics card. though game play is important and i have multiple die hard Nintendo fan friends who will have them, when I play console I prefer decent if not above average graphics which the 360 and PS3 promise while the Wii can not.

Oh and I do not own any next gen console since I own a Computer which has better hardware and demands more of my time then consoles. I do own a PS2 and XBox, but neither get as much attention as they should get. To this day I believe N64 is my favorite Nintendo Controller and Console. I am not a fan of GameCube due to the controller and its many issues with use over time and the wii controller is unpleasing to me due to the fact that when i play a console I relax, and the wii does not seem like a console that allows you to play while reclining. This is good for health, but not for stress levels after a grueling day of work. If you want a console from Nintendo because your a Nintendo fanatic, or because the games you want the most are on the Wii, than buy it. But if its games do not interest you, If you would rather sit on your lazy boy or couch and relax while play, or be on the edge of your seat as you play a game with such stunning graphics that it looks realistic, then try the other next gen consoles.

if you ever refer to me in light of the complex manga (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1731)

I will hunt you down and kill you!

LOL.

Quote from omar316

On the ending note, the games you mentioned Stealth are not provided by Sony but by individual companies themselves, Konami, Square-Enix and Namco who are all also making games on all platforms now. You might want to reconsider getting a cheaper console if the games comeout on the other platforms.

Of course I know they are third party and not developed by sony, and as I said if they get released on Wii, I'll be a happy Wii fanboy.

I still have a few small (and I mean very very small) grips left with Wii anyway. As I said I don't like party games, and the party console thing isn't to my taste. But that's not bad as long as there are enough serious games. And my kind of games doen't include FPS either. Actually FPS are almost the only kind of games I despise without second though.Party games might be fun with some friends but I just can't enjoy an FPS...
But well my friends and I, when we want to have multiplayer fun, we just have a LAN party on a weekend playing RTS. (mainly WARIII right now)

My other concern with the Wii is the controler. Although as someone studing computers and software, I find it to be quite a marvel (and no Hostile, form what I think the wii remote should be way more complex than the nintendo ds screen). I still don't think it goes with my playstyle. I don't feel like swinging that think for 5 hours straight... (because I can play for 12hours straight, actually for each Resident Evil game I played I finished it in one rainy night from 8pm to 8am, that was really fun). I heard about some kind of classic controller style shell for the wii remote, but I still didn't see it. It might solve my last problem with the wii.

EDIT: some formating and spelling

And I just checked the 3 specific titles I mentioned: They seem to be all 3 PS3 exclusif (At least according to this wiki page):
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category😛layStation_3-only_games[/url]
I can live without Tekken or even MGS (I'm not expecting this much out of MGS4, but I still have some hope that I'd be surprised). But I certainly can't live without my FF's! (Not really but they are my favorite series, I mean it's the only game that I enjoyed playing 11 iterations of it!!!, and I will soon play the n°12)

EDIT: The link went tottaly wrong... it had a smiley in it! (Because of the : followed by a p in the link lol)

Its a common misunderstanding that people think swinging the remote is required to play the Wii, you dont have to, as long as it detects movements, its fine. So theoretically, flicking is enough...u dont really have to do it like the people in the ad

[img]http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa229/azrinirza/makotoshinkai1_zpse3901c5a.gif[/img]
Everyday I'm tumblin'

There is no shell. You just use the gamecube controller. And you might not like FPSes, but do give GoW a try. I bet anyone will be hooked after a chainsaw or 2.

For best game play the wii needs you moving some for it to work best, the flick of the wrist is actually quite bad for you and causes wrists pains. many of my friends who try to play it while sitting still say that it seriously makes their wrists hurt after a while and it can be annoying when it doesn't work just right because of it.

if you ever refer to me in light of the complex manga (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1731)

I will hunt you down and kill you!

the wii succeeds where the gamecube failed which is the enjoyment of games mainly party games for all users. I enjoy playing the wii but its lacking in games as with the gamecube. They have the 1st party support with zelda, mario, metroid, smash bros, etc but lack games outside of that and that is what im worried about.